Mongoosian Operations
by jouissance
Summary: A place for everything I want to insert, erase from, make up, or otherwise manipulate to my evil will revolving around the 4B Finale. Be aware of spoilers. Prompts more than welcome. All ships and characters, but most likely I will be largely favoring Regina and OQ.
1. What is Real

**I have a thousand (okay, maybe 10ish) little ficlets running through my head all revolving around the 4B finale so I've decided to put them all in one convenient place. Summaries will be posted for each chapter for your reading discretion. Please follow along as I work these out of my brain. If there is anything you would like me to take on, leave a prompt and I'll see what I can do. I'm going to try to keep the ship pretty even, but to be honest, there will probably be more OQ than anything else. I melt.**

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 **We're going to start with what was going through the head of my favorite Outlaw after he woke up back in Storybrooke and a little extended OQ.**

 _And then he was running. His feat pounded the pavement, every breath trying to banish the images of her closing eyes, the feel of her blood warm beneath his fingers._

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He was back at Granny's Diner, looking around at faces just as stunned as his. It had been seconds ago, but a life time all the same. He could still feel the dirt and fallen leaves under his knees where tile floor lay and his hands…his hands still held the warmth of Regina's blood. Robin shook his head to clear the image. It hadn't happened; it couldn't have because he was here and now but there and then were so frighteningly close. And then he was running. His feat pounded the pavement with no particular destination in mind except toward her.

Robin rounded the corner and she was there, his Regina. She was holding tightly to the son that had been crying over her body moments ago, rewriting their fate with her spilt blood. Henry had saved her, saved them all. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride for the boy and for the woman that raised him who would also raise his children to be strong and heroic. Robin slowed slightly, letting the lamp post stabilize him, wanting to give mother and son a moment, but he couldn't stay back any longer. He needed her, them, in his arms.

He practically knocked her over with his embrace. The sound she made was something between a sob and a gasp, but no matter, it was muffled by his chest as he held her tightly to him. He needed to feel every inch of her: strong, warm, and alive. She pulled back fractionally, arms still secure around his back. Robin took the moment to run his hands through her hair, gently holding her head still so that he could gaze into her eyes. She was shaking just as much as he and he could see the same turmoil behind her eyes.

"I…" Robin started, but had no idea how to finish. He hadn't known her fully, they'd had no history together in that perverted world, but there was something. He was drawn to her. As he stared into her deep brown eyes he couldn't get past the image of them closing for the last time, nor the feel of her ragged, pained breath against his cheek as he stroked her hair and willed her to hold on until Henry could put right what he knew was so wrong.

"It wasn't…," Regina breathed out. She struggled with the words because it _had_ been real. So very real that she could still feel the cold steal slicing her abdomen, her body hitting the ground, his hand over hers willing the blood back into her body, and his eyes. Those blue eyes that never left hers, that gave her comfort and eased her fear. "At least I wasn't alone." She pulled herself back towards him, tucking her face into his neck.

He nuzzled against her hair and ran his arms along her back. Henry stood close nodding approvingly. They shared a mutual gratitude: Henry had saved her life, Robin had given her the happiness he'd always wanted her to have. "You never will be, Regina," Robin whispered into her hair, kissing where his lips brushed against her. "You never will be."


	2. Darkness Surrounds

**Hello all. Thank you for all the follows and faves. I'm glad this is something that interests you lovelies. This one shot deals with the final moments and what goes on between Emma and Regina in the moment they change places. OQ of course, but SQ friendship and feels. Enjoy!**

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The darkness surrounded them. Regina felt it crackling in the air, felt it honing in on her. She wasn't sure why she gasped the seconds before it consumed her. This ending shouldn't have surprised her. She had everything she needed, her happy ending. She should have known that it wouldn't last: She'd never outrun the Evil Queen.

It whipped her away, surrounding her completely. Dark tendrils were snaking all around her, through her, causing white hot searing pain that was everywhere all at once. 'Just go,' she thought to tell them all. 'Just run.' But, damn the heroes, no one was leaving. They were standing around her, wide-eyed and open-mouthed while she felt the light being pulled out of her. It wasn't a feeling Regina could describe, but she knew instinctively what was happening to her body, her spirit. She was growing numb; returning to the familiar emptiness she'd lived with for decades. Robin runs to her side and she swears she feels his fingers brush against hers briefly before he's thrown back, rolling across the pavement.

She sees Emma turning the dagger over in her hands, can see her working out a solution before she charges forward. "Emma, NO!" She should have sounded more like the Evil Queen, the indignant Mayor, or at the very least a scolding mother, but Regina was frantic and the panic echoed in her cry. Still, it was enough to stop Emma in her tracks. "There has to be another way," she said through gritted teeth. Regina tried to yell over the howling darkness, but she was weakening; the pain was becoming unbearable. This was her burden now, this darkness. Rumple had warned her as such and she wouldn't let anyone, least of all her son's mother to take it from her.

Emma was yelling at her again, crying. Regina couldn't understand her words, but the blonde's eyes told her all she needed to know. She would fulfil her role as Savior and Regina was powerless to stop her. "I can take it," she screamed, willing Emma to hear. "Leave me!" she managed before falling to her knees, darkness surrounding her senses completely and she was falling endlessly, letting herself be taken in.

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Snow is screaming. Regina doesn't know how she's certain that the cries come from her stepdaughter, but she has no doubt. She's still on her knees in the street, but the dark hold is easing away. Strong arms wrap around her, jerking her up to her feet and dragging her backward. Robin whispers her name over and over against her ear, holding her tightly to his chest. She opens her eyes slowly, knowing what she'd see but unprepared to see it. She is too shocked to scream. Emma stands where she had been, dagger outstretched, giving herself to the Dark One. Robin holds tight to her waist and Regina practically topples them both when she lunges for Emma.

"You don't get to do this!" Regina screams as she pulls out of Robin's grip and reaches for the dagger. "It'll destroy you, Emma."

"It'll do the same-to you," the blonde struggles with the words. The darkness is feeding on her, wrapping tighter and tighter. "I made you a promise."

"And I made one to them," Regina points at the Charmings huddled together. David's grip was the only thing keeping a terrified Snow White on her feet. "I can't outrun fate, Emma. I can take it. Give me the dagger." She speaks slowly, and as softly as she can to still be heard. Regina reaches up, fingers shaking. Something like electricity jolts through her when her fingers barely brushed the blade. "Give me the dagger!" she yells, abandoning reason when the stubborn blonde pulls away from her.

Robin was pulling her back again, or was he holding her up? She couldn't tell anymore. None of this was supposed to be happening. Regina hears someone calling desperately to Emma and she's not sure if it's Snow or herself. She can no longer see the woman she never imagined she'd call a friend; the darkness encompasses every inch of her.

"No," she said, not loud enough for anyone to hear. It didn't matter anymore; it was already too late. She slumped against Robin, her knees giving out beneath her the moment the Dark One's dagger hit the floor. The thief lowers her to the ground, kneeling behind her. "I'm sorry," she says over and over again, her voice shaking, tears falling freely from her eyes.

Hook crossed the short distance between them, picking up the dagger and staring at the newly engraved name. When he drops to his knees in front of Regina, she half expects him to plunge the dagger into her chest. She wouldn't blame him for it. Instead he lifts her hands and places the dagger in them. "Keep it safe." It's all he says, all he needs to. He gets up with a hand on her shoulder and walks off.

She doesn't know how long she stays like that, staring at the dagger that now held Emma Swan in an endless darkness. The tone of Snow's voice tells Regina that she had said her name more than once. "I'm sorry," Regina says again because there's nothing else she can say. "Snow, I'm so, so sorry." She grabs her step-daughter's hand and holds tight.

"You'll help us get her back." It wasn't a question, but a promise of the hope Snow lived by. Regina can only nod in response: hope never being her strong suit. "Did it hurt? In there?" The princess' voice was that of the frightened child Regina remembered all too well as she asked the question she didn't want the answer to.

"No," Regina looked her dead in the eyes and lied. "It was loud and," she takes a deep breath to steady her racing thoughts. "It's hard to describe, but no, Snow. It didn't hurt." Regina rises to her feat, grateful for Robin's arm on her back and takes Snow into arms. "We'll get her back. I swear." She looks from David back to Snow, cupping the younger woman's cheeks and wiping away her tears with her thumbs. David puts an arm around his wife and slowly leads her away, but not before sharing a long, knowing look with the queen. Regina doesn't react, only holds the dagger tightly against her chest until the Charmings disappear around the corner.

"Regina," Robin says softly against her hair as his arm snaked more firmly around her. He can tell how hard she is fighting for control and wants her to know that she doesn't have to keep up the act for him.

"They can't know." Regina lets her head fall back against Robin's shoulder, closing her eyes and trying to keep her breathing under control. Snow had just lost her daughter, again. And again because of Regina had done, or rather, couldn't do. She would never allow her to know that the moments she'd spent surrounded by the night were the most terrifying and painful she'd ever experienced. "I um," she swayed against him, her body still weak, tremors still pulsing through her. "I'm going to need your help getting home. And Henry…" She is quickly losing her battle with consciousness as Robin sweeps her trembling body into his arms.

"…will be okay. He's a tough as his mothers." He kisses her forehead as she curls into his neck, the dagger still pressed against her.

"I love you," she tells him because she never has and because Emma gave her the chance to say it and she won't let it go to waste.

"And I, you." He walks back toward the car with her in his arms. He knows tomorrow she'll throw herself into the battle to save Emma; she'll be unrelenting and undeterred. But tonight, tonight he can keep her safe and he intends to do just that.

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 **Thank you for reading. Next up is our favorite sexy Pirate and some CS because I promised I'd try.**


	3. The Things We Do For Love

**My attempt at Captain Swan. I apologize if I got the characters wrong; this was much more of a challenge than I was expecting it to be. I had to throw Regina in there to save the day. Thank you, Jenny for flooding my brain with CS moments and V_EvilRegal_ 's absolutely amazing video "Those Three Words" for inspiration. Check it out here: /-sN7Facih40**

 **Thank you for reading!**

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The whiskey burned its way down his throat. It wasn't the rum he consumed like water and he welcomed the effects that his fourth shot was providing. Or was it his seventh? It didn't matter; he had no intentions of stopping anytime soon. Emma was gone; bound to the Dark One because he couldn't convince her to stay. He wasn't enough, was never enough. The small glass flew from his hand and shattered against the wall. "Useless," he swore to himself as he began swigging from the bottle. "What more could I have done?" he yelled to the empty diner, to the woman that was too far gone to hear him.

He'd chased her through realms, through time. He traded his ship for a way back to her. But what was that? Wood and metal. It was his whole world, his life. It was nothing. He would trade a thousand Jolly Rogers for the chance to hold her in his arms once more, to win her heart. But when she can finally tell him that she loves him, its only goodbye he hears on her lips.

He'd left the dagger with Regina. He trusted the queen after all their years of misadventures, but more than that Killian didn't trust himself not to summon the newly formed Dark One; consequences be damned. He knew he couldn't bear to see his Swan perverted by dark power. His Swan, who locked her heart up in an impenetrable fortress to avoid the pain loss and betrayal she experienced over and over again, who denied him to protect him, who gave herself to the darkness to protect them all. He wanted to keep the image of her bright, apologetic eyes in his heart.

She had become his compass and without her he was lost. He didn't know how to be the person she needed right now: a hero. He'd spent far too long playing at the dashing rapscallion hiding in sarcasm and leathered regalia. Fate had made it all to clear. He was a villain, worse, a coward and not worthy of his happy ending, not worthy of her.

He fell back onto the bar stool bringing the bottle back to his lips, but instead of the comforting burn his taste buds were confronted with something that tasted like tar and smelled worse. "Bloody hell!" He spat the vile liquid across the bar and stared at the blackened bottle in his hand.

"Instant cure for a hangover."

Hook knew the voice; he didn't bother turning around, just grabbed another bottle and tipped it back. It vanished in a whirl of purple smoke before the liquor reached his lips. "You have to have stopped drinking to be hungover, love."

"How is this helping?" Regina asked accusingly as she took the stool next to him.

"It's helping me to not think about what is happening to her right now." It was a lie and Hook knew that Regina saw right through it. Emma was all he could think about, all he could see. Regina didn't push him. They sat in silence for a moment, Hook staring straight ahead avoiding the eyes that were burning into him. When he finally relented and met her stare, he was taken aback by what he saw. "You look like hell."

"Thank you. So do you." Regina tried to smile, but didn't quite get there. She pushed back dirty hair that had fallen from her ponytail and slouched lower on the bar.

"Yes, love, but I'm a pirate and you're a queen. I'm supposed to look like hell; it's part of my persona." Hook reached behind the bar, grabbing a fresh bottle. He raised an eyebrow and Regina, daring her to dissolve all the liquor in the place.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a pirate," Regina said. "You're a pathetic excuse for a man if all you're going to do is drink yourself stupider while the rest of us are trying to find a way to get Emma back!" The queen took the bottle from his hand, took a long swig and slammed it back on the counter. It shattered, covering them both with the warm amber liquid. "I thought you _loved_ her," her voice full of venom and dangerously close to his face, "but you obviously haven't learned to love anyone but yourself." Regina slid off the stool, but before her feet could hit the ground Hook was on her.

"Do NOT question my feelings, your majesty!" he spat as he spun her. His hook was at her throat, his body pressing her against the bar, and his wretched breath was hot against her cheek. Regina didn't react until she felt the tip of his hook break the skin at her neck. She wrapped her hands around the appendage and slowly pulled it away.

"Nice to see you're still in there, pirate." She held his gaze, knowing he'd back down.

Killian held her prone another moment before the adrenaline of the moment wore off then he leaned heavily on the counter, hiding his face. "I wanted her to be safe," he says more to himself than the woman standing beside him. "I wanted her to be happy with me, to love me, but more than anything I wanted her to be safe and now safe is the farthest place from where she is." He sat back down and offered the neighboring stool back to Regina. "I should have stopped her."

"You couldn't have," Regina was absently shaking her head and Hook once again took in her disheveled appearance. "Believe me, Killian. I've been over it a thousand times. I haven't slept in days. _I_ look like hell," she paused a moment to appreciate the slight chuckle she got from the defeated man.

"And what conclusions have you reached that drug you out in the middle of the night to track down a drunken pirate."

"That Emma Swan is a goddamn hero." Regina grabbed a fresh bottle and took a long pull. "And that she's my friend. And that it's going to take every person that she _loves_ to break her out of that darkness." She put her hand on Hook's shoulder, making sure she had his full attention. "When we were trapped in the Author's sadistic play land she talked with me right after you were killed. The pain in her eyes, Killian…" Regina rubbed at her temples, haunted still by the events of that other world. "She loves you. She begged me to go to Robin just so she would have the chance to tell you so."

Hook nodded to the queen and closed his eyes, honing in on the memories: the look on Emma's face when they danced, the sound of her laughter, the feel of her lips, the confidence in her eyes and she stared into his while the Dark One took her. She knew they'd get her back; she knew he'd find her as he always had. In the end he'd done what he'd set out to do: he'd won her heart, not because of any trickery, but because she wanted him. _Him_. He wasn't fool enough to believe that his love, his need for her alone could bring her back to them, but he was willing to try.

He took the bottle and placed it between himself and Regina. "Instant cure for a hangover?" Regina waved her hand over the bottle and the putrid smell of the black liquid filled the space between them. Killian grasped the neck of the bottle, swirling the liquid. "How did the likes of us find true love, Regina?" he asked with a sincerity the queen had never heard in his voice.

Regina stared at the black potion whirling around the bottle and blinked back tears of the memories that haunted them both. "Emma," she whispered because she didn't trust her voice not to break.

"The things we do for love," he raised the bottle in the air before downing the putrid potion. "To Emma."


	4. Forget Me Not

**Look at me go! Two chapters in one day. What can I say, OQ just flows so much more easily and I love lazy Sundays.**

 **I'm not sure if this fits in the 'post-finale' category or not, but I figured everybody had time to at least change clothes between undoing the Author's story and gathering at Granny's so why can't I insert some much needed fluff to break up the angsty drama. Outlaw/Dimples Queen.**

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Robin watched as Will Scarlett tossed his squealing son into the air. They'd left New York in the middle of the night and mercifully the child had slept soundly until they crossed back into Storybrooke. A wave or Regina's hand and his peaceful slumber continued until Zelena could be dealt with. Unfortunately the Author had other plans for them all and it had only been hours since they had broken free of his manipulation. He'd parted from Regina far too quickly for his liking, especially considering what had happened to her under the Author's spell, but she had assured him as she always had, that their sons came first.

She was silent as she came up behind him, so much so that Robin jumped when she placed a hand in his. "Are you sure?" she asked, holding up what could only be the memory potion she had promised for Roland. He couldn't fathom when she had time to concoct it.

"I don't know how I could possibly explain the situation to him." He raked his hands over is face as he watched his son's happy reunion with the Merry Men. "Zelena…she was _good_ with him; she cared for him." Robin frowned when Regina visibly flinched at the remark. "I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be." Regina shook her head, trying to affect an appearance of calm. She'd becoming insanely protective of her Thief's son since the moment she met them and the thought of her wicked sister anywhere near the child made her blood boil. "I'm glad he was happy. Truly. If she had hurt him in anyway…"

"I know," he reached out for the fists that she was clenching and pulled her to his chest. "And I wouldn't have stopped you." He felt Regina nod against him, but she was still too stiff in his embrace; something still troubling her too much to let her relax. "How much time will he lose?"

"That's up to you." Regina pulled back and led him to sit a few paces away, never letting his hand go. "A few months, to before 'Marian' ever came back." She stared at the ground for a moment summoning the strength for the next words. "Or I can take him all the way back to the Enchanted Forest. Before Zelena, or flying monkeys, or anything else meant for me hurt him."

"No!" Robin spun to his knees so that he was opposite her, holding her face to ensure she met his eyes. "Regina, never! I don't want him to forget you. He loves you. That year with you, _with us_ , it was the happiest I've ever seen him." The tearful smile he received made Robin vow to himself to spend the rest of his life making up for the hurt he had caused her. He pulled her face closer to his, thumb absently wiping at an errant tear. He hadn't yet kissed her; it was something that they were both painfully aware of. Even after waking from the Author's curse, when he'd held her tight enough that he was sure she would break against him, his lips had not met hers. It was a privilege he wasn't sure he had earned yet, but seeing her now, seeing the love she had for his boy, Robin could wait no longer.

As if on cue, Roland caught sight of Regina and tore across the campsite calling her name. He crashed into her lap, knocking his father over in the process. "Gina, you're back! Papa, she's back!" Roland wrapped himself tightly around Regina's neck and for the first time since she'd lost them, the queen laughed freely. The boy who stole her heart was secure in her arms and the man who kept it safe was lying on his back on the forest floor; there was a smile on his face that rivaled her own.

"Roland," Regina began as she untangled the boy from her neck and situated him in her lap. "Do you remember the day you and your Papa and I fed the ducks at the park?" She looked directly at Robin when she spoke and the father nodded approvingly at the memory she had chosen.

"The day Papa fell in the water!" Roland laughed excitedly, squirming in her lap.

"Right," Regina said, pulling him back up against her. "I need you tell me all about it."

"Did you forget?"

"No, little one. I just want to make sure you remember." She winked at him and the boy launched instantly into his detailed recollection of the day. Robin listened absently as he watched Regina drink down the potion she pulled from her pocket. He had no knowledge of the workings of magic, but had assumed they would have to somehow convince his son to drink the liquid. He continued to stare in wonder as Regina placed her lips to Roland's forehead and his boy was momentarily surrounded by a soft purple glow. When it faded Roland was sleeping soundly against her chest. Robin moved instinctively, running his hand through the boy's hair. "He's fine," Regina assured him. "Though he'll probably tease you about getting wet again seeing as to him it just happened."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

"Will," Robin called as his friend all too conveniently passed by. "Would you be able to—"

"On it, Mate." He gave Robin a crooked smile as he lifted the sleeping child from Regina's arms.

"He'll think—"

"That you just fell on your arse again. Don't worry, Robin. We'll have a good laugh at your expense." Will walked back toward the camp with a mischievous smile on his face, Roland's head lulling against his shoulder. He heard Robin muttering under his breath as he walked away: something close to 'bloody thief' and it only made smile more. He was happy that his friend had found his true love and knew Robin would forgive his harmless eavesdropping.

Robin continued to stare at the back of his friend until the trees obstructed his view. He turned when Regina's fingers intertwined with his. "Regina, I—" The thought was abandoned as Regina grabbed his jacket and pulled him securely to her, lips meeting in a breathless kiss that she'd been missing for far too long. It was wanton, full of need and undeniable passion. "You were saying something, Thief," she mused when she finally released his mouth. She moved her arms up to rest on his shoulders, his securely around her back.

"Nothing, M'lady," he said through panted breath, "Only this." His raised his hands to tangle in her hair, drawing her in. The kiss was slow, gentle, and everything he wanted to spend eternity giving her. It was when he felt every part of Regina melt into his embrace that he knew they would be okay. This was permanent. This was true.

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 **Thank you to everyone who is reading, reviewing, and following along. It really brings a great deal of happiness to my day. :)**


	5. Get Her Back

**Special request from ILoveRegina'sStrength who wanted something with Regina as the Dark One and Emma fighting to save her. I hope this is what you had in mind.**

 **Alternate Ending. Cannon up until Regina is surrounded by the darkness then all mistakes and meanderings are mine.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

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"There has to be another way," Regina forced out as Emma came impossibly closer to the swirling darkness, dagger in hand. As soon as the blonde raised her arm Regina knew exactly what she was about to do. She raised her own instantly and the dagger vanished from Emma's hand and appeared in her own. The simple transference took everything the queen had left; she fell to her knees without a sound. Before Emma could fully appreciate what had just transpired, they dagger clanged against the concrete; the small sound almost deafening in the sudden silence of the street.

 _Regina Mills_ the engraving reflected in the light of the street but cast no shadow. The Dark One had been renamed and Regina had been imprisoned.

It was Robin who moved first, walking toward the blade like a man walking toward his death. He crouched next to it as if to a grave, but couldn't bring himself to touch. "What did you do?" he asked to no one and everyone; to the woman he knew couldn't answer.

Hook bent toward the grieving man, picking up the dagger and offering it to Emma. "What now, love?" He asked the Savior. She was the woman who was supposed to bring back the happy endings; the one who stood shell-shocked staring into the night.

"I…I have no idea." She forced herself to meet her lover's eyes, unable to face the blade in his hand. She let Killian see her fear. He is the only one she'd ever show it to.

"Gold," David answered from beside her, his arms still wrapped around his trembling wife. "He was the Dark One for centuries. If there's anyone in this town that knows how to undo this it has to be him."

"Aye, but do we want it undone?" Four pairs of eyes glared at the pirate.

"She sacrificed herself! Of course, we want it undone," Robin yelled. If the thief had more fight left in him Hook knew he would have an arrow embedded in his chest.

"I'm not saying I don't want to help Regina, we go way back the queen and I. I _am_ saying that she may not be Regina anymore. Power corrupts and that much darkness…"

"She's strong," Snow broke through Hook's argument with a certainty that shut down every other hesitation or suspicion floating between them. "She's the strongest person I've ever met in my _life_." She took the dagger from Hook's hands and tucked it in her coat. "Let's go talk to Rumpelstiltskin." The name that was feared for so long left her lips in a curse.

"He's under a preservation spell." At what point Henry had arrived, no one was sure.

"So we un-preserve," Emma had found her voice, driven by her parent's assurance and unyielding hope. She looked her son square in the eyes.

"He killed her!" Henry yelled. "You were there. He just killed her so he could have the life he wanted; he'll never help her escape what he's been trying to outrun for years." Once again, Emma had underestimated her son's intuition. She knew Henry had saved her, saved them all from the Author's curse, yet somehow hadn't realized what the impact of watching his mother bleed out must have had. Regina hadn't remembered her son, but her son knew his mother. Emma wasn't about to let him watch her die for a second time.

She pulled him against her in a tight hug. It wasn't their style, but they both needed the contact. "We're getting her back, kid. I swear to you: I'm not letting her go out like this." She looked to her parents, steadfast and ready for battle and to the men that she and Regina loved who waited anxiously to follow whatever plan she had. "As for Gold's assistance, I don't plan on giving him an option."

/

 _REGINA_

 _She's everywhere all at once: past, present, and future. She can look into the minds and hearts of anyone; change them; manipulate them like puppets with just a hint of a thought._

 _She's nowhere and she's alone. Empty and imprisoned._

/

"Get out of the way, Belle." Emma led the parade into Gold's shop.

"What's going on?" Belle stood protectively in front of Rumple. "What are you going to do?" She could tell by the intensity on everyone's face that plans had been half formed and all involved the man that she had tried so hard not to love. It was then that she saw the dagger in Snow's hand and the new name scrawled across it. She already knew the answer, but asked the question anyway. "Oh my God is that?"

"Yes." Emma answered shortly. "Now please move before I have to make you. We have questions that only he can answer." She could appreciate Belle's hesitance, after all she loved her own reformed villain. But at the moment she didn't have time to worry about the other woman's feelings. Thankfully, Belle stepped aside. She may have loved the man, but understood perhaps better than anyone, the workings of the monster beneath.

Emma's magic shot out like a bullet and Rumple was gasping at breath and clawing at his chest. He looked around lost, empty with the darkness no longer inside of him. His eyes were bright for the first time in far too long, but there was no time to appreciate his sudden transformation. The change didn't' go unnoticed by Belle. She tried to approach him, but Robin's arms were tight around her waist, holding her back.

"How do we get her back?" Snow shoved the dagger into the old man's face. The name scrawled across the blade inches from his eyes. It took a moment for Rumple to truly see, to truly appreciate that his burden had been transferred. There was a momentary sadness for the girl he had molded into his weapon.

"Oh, dearie, what have you gotten yourself into." He moved slowly, feeling everything anew with his lighter soul. A finger traced the letters embedded in the curved blade that had held his name for so long. "I tried to warn her that this would happen. She was the most likely candidate for the Dark One once I was gone."

"You're still here, Crocodile." Killian placed his Hook against Rumple's chest. "And unlike you and your cowardice, she sacrificed herself to it; she didn't seek it out."

"All the same, she took it willingly. It won't leave her without another host and I assume there isn't a long line of volunteers to save the _Evil_ Queen."

"I'll do it." Robin stepped from around Belle who seeing Rumple relatively unharmed, had finally stopped fighting against him.

"True love. How touching," Rumple rose from the cot, pushing Killian's hook aside. "Such honor, thief, but she'll never let you take her power. You don't know her like I do, like I did. You don't know the horror she's capable of."

"I know the woman that you tried to destroy; who in spite of you overcame the monster you turned her into." Robin's hand went for Rumple's throat, but the older man side-stepped his reach.

"We shall see." Gold plucked the knife from Snow's hands, felt the weight of it and the relief. "Regina Mills, I summon thee." There was a sadistic grin on the former Dark One's face, one that Henry quickly wiped off with his fist. Gold flew back, dropping the blade and toppling over the cot he had been lying on. Emma made a mental note to tell her son how proud she was of him, but it would have to wait. The newly cursed Dark One stood before them.

She was still Regina, but she wasn't: her skin was porcelain white and flawless, almost a mask, every bit of the lines that pulled at her eyes and her smile were gone. Her dark hair was longer, the unruly curls they'd only caught glimpses of over the years flowing free. But it was her eyes that gave them pause; they were a deadly red, the color of spilt blood pooling into the earth.

Robin was behind her and moved instinctively forward, drawn to her, but Hook held him back. "Easy, Mate. The Crocodile wasn't entirely wrong. Let's just see who we're dealing with first." Robin remained tense, but stayed in place.

"Regina?" Emma asked cautiously, praying that her friend was still somewhere under this wretched façade.

"My, my. If it isn't the entire Un-Charming family!" Her voice wasn't her own, but a sinister sing-song variation; the voice of the Evil Queen but far more deadly. She turned slowly taking them all in, letting them all see this new _her_.

"Regina." Robin gasped when he saw the mask of her face. He couldn't begin to reconcile the creature before him with the woman he'd walked with in the moonlight only moments ago.

"You again?" She looked him up and down, a wicked smile on her face. "Go away. And take the extras with you." With a flick of her wrist Robin, Hook, and Belle were gone.

"Where are they?" Emma stepped into the space previously occupied by the men. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, dear. They're fine, don't worry. I'm not going to start killing people just yet." She stalked up to Snow. "Well, maybe you." Her hand plunged into Snow's chest and the princess cried out in pain.

"Stop!" David stood beside his wife, dagger in hand. Regina sneered at his control over her. "Release her." Her hand retracted, empty, and Snow gasped, tears flooding her eyes.

"Regina, we're trying to help you." David held the dagger level with their faces. "Tell us how to help you." He knew it wouldn't be that easy, nothing with Regina Mills ever was, but he had to try. He thought that he could somehow turn her, or that he could trick the Dark One in betraying herself.

"What could I possible need from you, Shepherd. I have more power than you could ever dream of."

"Regina, this isn't you. I know you're still in there; talk to me!" Emma spun her, grabbing her shoulders and searching her menacing eyes for any hint of the woman that was.

"Oh, but this _is_ me, Miss Swan. This is who I was always meant to be. Evil is made and I just made myself unstoppable." She cupped Emma's chin. The blonde cringed at the icy coolness of her hand. "I have so many plans for you, Savior."

"Mom?" Henry had backed himself into the corner; the man he had been seconds before replaced by the frightened child he hadn't been in years. He locked eyes with the person that had been his mother, but saw no trace of her there.

"Your mother's dead, child," she said flatly before vanishing in a swirl of red smoke, leaving the four of them open-mouthed with shock.

"What the hell was that?" Emma eventually gave voice to what they were all thinking.

"That, dearie, was the Dark One," Gold cackled from the floor. Emma leveled her gun at his head, finger on the trigger. "You won't kill me; especially not in front of your happy family. You're a hero, Miss Swan."

"Not yours." She slammed the gun into the side of his head.

/

 _REGINA_

 _It rips through her, this raw power she doesn't want and can't control. Yet there is something familiar in it. The feeling she had when she finally summoned the will to force her mother through the looking glass; the power of knowing her husband would never hurt her again; the satisfaction of no longer having a weakness. It's something almost comforting and that terrifies her more than anything else._

 _She should be fighting; she knows this, but can't seem to find the will to do so. It's safe here in this void. Freeing. She doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, doesn't feel. She has everything and nothing all at once and it's more than she can process so she doesn't bother trying._

/

Emma's days are spent putting out fires, sometimes literally, that the Dark One has caused. The town has sequestered itself; no one dares speak the former mayor's name. Emma keeps the dagger with her at all times although she's only had to use it once. Regina had gone after Rumple, tortured him into a mindless oblivion by the time Emma arrived. She's not sure why she stopped her. 'For Regina's sake,' she tells herself. So she won't have to live with the guilt of his murder when they rescue her from the darkness. Each day that goes by, however, she is less and less sure of that outcome.

She sleeps with the dagger under her pillow because although she'd never tell the man that sleeps next to her, or the boy down the hall, the Dark One's words in those first moments haunt her: _I have plans for you, Savior_. She's only come face to face with Regina twice, both times were blissfully ended in Regina's sudden departure. Mostly she uses her magic to heal: turning Leroy back from stone, mending Ruby's broken leg when the wolf was cast haphazardly against a brick wall. Twice she'd uncrushed Doc's Miata, smiling to herself both times. Regina really did _hate_ that car.

Still, she has yet to come for her. Or Henry, or Robin, or Roland, or even her parents since that first heart-grabbing incident. Emma chooses to believe that's hope. Call her her mother's child, but it is what it is. The Dark One has been on a rampage, but the people that love her have remained unscathed. Who but Regina could be responsible for that?

/

Robin has mostly kept to himself: he and his son taking refuge in the woods. He does it now for Roland, who can't understand how his 'Gina could possibly be dangerous, how she could want to hurt him and why she no longer tells him stories. He does it for himself, because he has failed her once again. He vowed to keep her safe, to make her happy, and now this. She is the Dark One and Robin had no idea how to help her.

 _REGINA_

 _Every once in a while she dares to look through the eyes of the Dark One; dares to see the devastations her captor is causing on the faces of the ones she knew. Loved. Emma has thankfully kept Henry protected, but Robin and his son… The people who unquestioningly believe her strong enough to conquer anything now look at her with fear, disgust, hatred for the monster she's let herself become. Its Robin's eyes she stares into now. The woods are burning around them, her doing she knows although she has no idea why it was done. He holds his son, their son, tight to his chest and he's begging; begging her to stop this madness, to come back to them, to save them from the flames she unleashed._

 _She wants to close herself off to it: the pain on his face, the cries of the injured and dying that surround them, but it overwhelms. She feels it and it's as if she's never felt anything before. Control. 'You did this,' she says to herself. 'You.' The power rages through her again and she can feel herself being forced back, but she's had a taste of freedom and she wants more. She pushes back against the darkness, stares hard through red eyes that hide her own; stares at the man who loves her still._

There's a light that pulses from her body. If he had blinked, Robin would have missed it. In that heartbeat everything had changed. The fires extinguished as if they'd never sparked, his men alive and well going about their day around him. He would have thought it all a dream except for the boy still clutched to his chest and the woman before him. He sees a tear streak from her red eyes, but before he can wipe it away she's gone. "Regina," he says to the space she left then reaches for his phone. They were all losing hope that the woman still existed within the monster. That one tear was all the convincing the thief would ever need.

/

"How do we stop her?" Emma stood over Gold and let the point of the dagger press into his leg. He was much less intimidating tied to a hospital bed. She could have done more to heal him after rescuing him from Regina, probably should have, but part of her couldn't help but feel the former Dark One got exactly what he deserved.

"Stop her or save her?" Rumple quipped, ignoring the pain.

"Both."

"Ah, that's your problem, dearie. You don't get both."

Emma took in the weight of what he was saying. She knew he was right, but wasn't ready to admit it. Rumple saw the realization behind her eyes. "Stop her it is then. You have everything you need in your hand. Of course you have to get close enough to use it."

Emma sat heavily in the chair next to the bed, dropping the dagger into her bag. She was exhausted. "Like you did with Pan?"

"In a manner of speaking. The Dark One and his dagger, or her dagger as the case may be, cannot occupy the same space. The dagger goes in, they implode. Perfectly simple."

"And Regina? What happens to her? What happen to you?"

He was quite for a moment. Emma knew he was struggling with the memory. "Oblivion," he finally answered. Emma had nothing to come back with. She sat another moment, listening to the steady rhythm of machinery keeping Gold alive. The ringing of her phone brought her back to the present; as she answered it her eyes went wide. She left Gold without a word.

Henry appeared seconds later, arm outstretched toward Gold. "Are you sure you want to do this, Henry?" Gold asked. The boy _was_ his grandson after all; the concern seemed almost genuine.

"We had a deal," the boy said unblinking. Rumple closed his eyes and the dagger appeared in Henry's hand.

"Be careful, Henry," Rumple said, but the boy was already gone.

/

Henry stands in the middle of the street. He knows what he has to do; he knows he's right. His mother is still there. She's still fighting for him. He raises the dagger and yells her name to the sky. Red smoke fills his senses and then she's there, or rather the shards of her that remain.

"Well, if it isn't the child wonder. Awfully brave aren't we? Summoning the Dark One when you are here alone." She leans in close and Henry fights the simultaneous urges to hug her and to run. "What is it that you want? I'm quite busy."

"Kill me," Henry says flatly.

"Don't toy with me, child. You'll find I don't play nice." She grabbed his chin roughly shoving him back. Henry bounced back instantly, shoving his entire weight into her, causing her to stumble back.

"Then kill me!" Henry challenged with a maturity beyond his years. "If she's really gone, if you really destroyed every shred of her then it shouldn't be anything at all for you to kill me!"

/

 _REGINA_

 _She hears him. His voice so grown up, so frightened. She's alone in the endless dark, but she hears him. Her son. He's fighting for her. The least she can do is fight for herself._

 _The Dark One holds her back, forces her back down, but she's resilient. She can see him now. She can feel him. And she can feel what her captor is about to do._

/

The Dark One's hand sliced through the air, for all the terror Henry felt he didn't flinch. Regina's fingers were pressed up against his chest, poised to attack the fragile heart below, but they moved no further. "Run!" she screamed out and Henry had no doubt that the panicked voice belong to his mother. "Henry, _please_. Go!" Her hand trembled against him; Henry could feel his mother radiating though.

"Get away from him!" Emma ran up and shoved herself between mother and son. She ripped the dagger from Henry's hand and raised it to Regina's face, daring her to defy the control, but the Dark One seemed to be frozen in place as surely as if she had turned herself to stone. Her arm was still outstretched, level with the placement of Henry's heart, her entire body trembling. Emma took a step back when she realized it was Regina's eyes stared back at her. "Henry, get out of here," Emma whispered.

"Not a chance," her son answered defiantly.

"David, get him out of here!" Emma pleaded, as her mother and father came into view. She never broke eye contact with the woman in front of her.

"No one's leaving her, Emma." Snow placed a hand firmly on her daughter's shoulder.

"I can't control it. I. Can't." Everyone turned toward Regina. She was shaking violently, tears streaking down her cheeks. "I asked you before, Emma, but this time I'm begging; let me die as Regina; let my son remember me as his mother, not a monster."

"I can't do what you're asking. I won't." Emma shook her head violently, tears spilling from her own eyes. "I won't kill you! There has to be another way; there's always another way."

"I'm already dead." There was no defeat in her voice, just a simple excepting of the fact. The Dark One had taken almost everything she had; everything worth saving. "Please."

The dagger shook in Emma's hand, reflecting the moonlight and creating a light show of the space between them. "Thank you," Regina whispered. It was getting harder and harder each second for hers to be the voice to come through.

"For failing you?" Emma questioned, tightening her grip on the blade. She knew what she had to do, but had no idea where she would find the strength to do it.

"For being my friend." Regina grabbed Emma's arm and with her last bit of strength, spun herself against Emma's chest and shoved the dagger deep into her own.

"No!" Emma screamed as she felt the blade sink in, felt Regina's blood covering her hand. "No," as Regina sank to her knees, pulling Emma to the ground with her. "No," as Emma saw the first tendrils of darkness leave Regina's dying body. "No!" as she summoned ever ounce of magic she had to slow the blood that poured out of her friend. "No," as the darkness swirled around them. Over and over: "no."

/

Seconds passed like hours as Emma held Regina in the deafening silence. The darkness swirled around them; she could see their son, her parents, Hook, and Robin; all yelling, all trying to reach them. She knows this is what Regina saw right before she let the Dark One take her and admires the queen's strength even more.

"Emma," Regina's voice is barely breath against the Savior's ear. "You can stop now."

Emma looked down at her hand, still glowing brightly against Regina's chest. She hadn't even realized she was still doing it. Regina sat slowly, Emma's hand on her back until she was able to turn enough to face the blonde. The dagger lay un-named on the ground beneath them. Regina breathed deeply and tried not to look at her blood that covered them both.

The darkness grew closer around them. Emma felt it nipping at her back. "It's happening again. It didn't matter; nothing I did mattered! I can't stop this. I'm not strong enough." The Savior yelled to the queen, to the Dark One, to whoever was listening in the universe. Her frustration pounded her fist into the pavement.

On the third punch, Regina grabbed her hands, forcing her to focus. "No, you're not. But maybe we are?"

Emma would have laughed at the irony of the situation if there had been time. How much had changed between them in the last 3 years? Instead she only nodded as she and Regina both hovered their hands over the dagger. "Now or never?" Emma whispered as they each placed a hand around the blade. Blinding white light surrounded them, the dagger glowed white hot in their hands but neither woman let go. Somewhere in the chaos Emma's free hand found Regina's and they held tight, faces buried in each other's' shoulders, their only protection against the onslaught raging around them.

And then it was over.

The dagger crumbled to dust between them and before either had a chance to move they were surrounded. Henry threw himself between them, an arm wrapped tightly around each neck. "You okay?" Regina panted over Henry's head as she held her son tightly.

"Yeah, I think so." Emma looked around at the family that had joined them in the middle of the street. She took her mother's hand and could feel Snow shaking against her. "You?" she asked the queen?

Regina nodded. She leaned against Robin who had knelt beside her. "Thanks to you," she told the blonde.

They were pulled to their feet by Robin and David, Henry still clutching at them both. Killian kicked at the remnants of the dagger with his boot. "So, that's it then?" he looked skeptically between both women.

"For tonight," Henry said as he finally released his mothers. Emma and Regina both burst out laughing; it was a moment of brevity that was long overdue.

"Grannie's?" David suggested as he steered the group toward the diner.

"Where else do we celebrate the not-ending of the world?" Snow took her husband's hand.

"I could go for a grilled cheese." Everyone's head snapped to Regina. "What? I haven't eaten in weeks." She laughed as Robin pulled her tightly to his side.

"Grilled cheese it is then," he kissed her hard before they moved to join the Charmings and her son.

"What is it, love?" Killian came up behind Emma, wrapping his arms around her waist. The blonde had barely moved since she and Regina had broken free of the darkness.

"Nothing," she leaned back into him, soaking up his warmth. "I just can't believe it's over."

"I never doubted you." He rested his chin on her shoulder, his beard scraped against her cheek.

"I know," she crossed her arms over his. "I love you."

"I know," the pirate kissed her cheek before he moved to her side, guiding her slowly towards the diner and her family. He never saw the blood red flash in her eyes.


	6. Checking on Zelena

**Longish A/N: So sorry for the lengthy delay posting. I've been unexpectedly busy with life. If you haven't reached adulthood yet I highly recommend that you avoid it at all cost. ;) This is a prompt from a lovely guest that wanted Zelena to undo the potion. I do apologize if you feel that I completely went in a different direction, but this is where my mind and heart took me.**

 **Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. You guys are awesome. I'm losing steam with the finale stories so after this I think I'm just going to give in, throw my hat in the ring of the other fabulous "moonlight walks" and move on to other stories. Stephbezy, your prompt for protective Henry will be incorporated into that so please stay tuned.**

 **Also, I just joined tumblr so I could get at all these delicious prompts everyone finds and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. If someone would take pity on me I would greatly appreciate it. restrainedubiquity is my screen name, same on AO3.**

* * *

Her heels clicked loudly against the concrete floor and with every echo she wished herself further and further away. This was the last place Regina wanted to be right now, but this was inevitable; a new part of her life that she was trying to embrace. She'd made sure her family was safe: Henry, Robin, Roland. All her boys had come away relatively unscathed from the Author's manipulative world although Robin's composure broke a little each time their eyes met. She knew her Thief still saw her eyes close for the last time with each glance they shared. She also knew he hadn't had the time to process everything he had endured.

It had only been hours, a day at most, since she flew into his arms and turned his word upside down. When he finally left her side to take Roland back to the camp, Regina knew it was time to check on her sister. She did it for Robin. That's what she told herself. So he could have the peace of mind that his child was still safe and growing inside of her vile sister.

She was lost in her thoughts when she walked directly into Dr. Whale. "Madame Mayor, you're late," Whale quipped as he stepped around her. "Mother and child are both fine. There's no need for you to stay."

"I'd like to see for myself, if you don't mind." Regina continued around him. She had come this far and wasn't about to turn back now.

"It's your town, Your Majesty," Whale dismissed her cynicism.

"Victor," Regina grabbed his arm to stop him. "Thank you for checking on them. I'm sure you had more important things to do." It wasn't like her to show her gratitude, but it was like the person she was trying desperately to be: someone that people respected rather than feared.

"You're welcome. And Regina, I'm sorry for all of this," he waved his hand in the air between them encompassing the situation Regina found herself in.

"It's not ideal, but…" she trailed off.

"It is," Whale finished for her.

"Exactly." Regina took the remaining steps to Zelena's cell door. She waited until Whale was in the elevator before lowering the shield and entering the room.

"Look you made scientist freak, I told you I was fine! The baby is fine! I don't need any more tests!" Zelena stared out the small window, her back to the door. Nothing was going according to plan. This _baby_ was never supposed to have happened; Regina certainly wasn't supposed to risk it all to blow her cover; her sister wasn't supposed to have everything she needed while Zelena was locked in this disgusting room, stripped of magic, and being subjected to Frankenstein's medical whims.

"You'll have whatever tests _Doctor_ Whale deems necessary," Regina answered as the door sealed behind her, seeming to hear her sister's thoughts.

Zelena smirked at her sister's voice, but left her back to her. "Did he send you?" she asked. Zelena thought for a moment she may still be able to destroy her sister's happiness, although in truth, her vengeance had lost its momentum.

"No," Regina admitted. That got Zelena's attention and she turned arms wrapped around her middle. "But he'll want to know his child is alright after everything that's happened and I'd like to be able to tell him with certainty."

"She's fine," Zelena spat. "You can go."

"She?" Regina knew it was too soon for Whale to be able to tell her the child's gender; she also knew that there was no need for Zelena to justify her knowledge. Even with her magic suppressed, Zelena felt the connection to her child. Regina allowed herself a moment to accept that she would never have that feeling. "I'll let Robin know." She turned to go. That should have been it. She'd gotten the information she came for, seen Zelena's condition for herself, then why was she moving in slow motion toward the door?

"He chose you," her sister's words stopped Regina's slow retreat. "Even there. Even when he didn't have the faintest clue who you were. He chose you. Again." Zelena laughed to herself. "Still." There was something different to her sister's voice. It was defeated and almost sincere. Regina turned but didn't move any closer. "If it hadn't worked; if you hadn't been all heroic with your magical blood…"

"He would have chosen me," Regina interrupted, but without the vile sneer she reserved especially for her sister. Saying it aloud forced the queen to truly hear it. Robin was her soulmate; he would always choose her. As cliché as that still sounded to her ears her heart knew it was true. She knew he loved her, but to choose her, to choose to throw himself and his child into her complicated life was something entirely different. It was a feeling she never thought she'd have: being chosen for who she was not for who someone wanted her to be.

"A corpse." Zelena snorted, puling Regina back to the present. "You died in the dirt! It was our wedding day and he wouldn't have noticed me if I had lit myself on fire!"

"What's your point, Zelena?" Regina was beginning to regret not being hastier in her retreat. She'd had enough of her sister, of everyone, destroying her happiness at every turn.

Zelena was silent as looked intently at the bare wall opposite her. She could feel Regina's hardened gaze on her, but didn't trust herself to meet it. She'd blame the hormones for the tears that prickled in her eyes because the Wicked Witch would never shed a tear; certainly not in front of the woman that took everything, that was still taking everything. "He loves you," she finally said and couldn't hide the hitch in her voice. "I didn't that was possible for us." Zelena leaned back against the wall, patting the space next to her for Regina to join. She rolled her eyes when the queen stood her ground. "What am I possibly going to do to you in here?"

After several long seconds and an internal battle of wills, the brunette relented and sat on the edge of the bed as far away from her sister as physically possible. They stayed there, silent, assessing each other and the way fate had brought them back together. Every so often Regina's eyes darted to Zelena's stomach, to the child that already had a place in her heart. "You can't have children, can you?" Zelena finally broke the silence. She saw every part of Regina tense from her words.

"I made a choice a long time ago and I'll live with the consequences." Regina answered too quickly and in a way that told her sister that was all she would ever say about the issue. "Besides, as I said before, I have a child. Two in fact."

Zelena nodded and stared down at her hands wrapped around her abdomen. "Three," she whispered. It took a moment for her to meet Regina's eyes. When she did the queen's were boring into her, glistening with tears she would never let fall in present company. "Does it matter to you that none of them are _yours_?"

"No," Regina said honestly. "I loved Henry the moment I saw him. More than I thought any one person was capable of loving. And Roland…Well, you've met Roland."

"He's an ungrateful little brat," Zelena blurted out, but looked away quickly.

"That you cared for for months? I don't buy it, Greenie. If you hated that child he would have had some unfortunate accident the moment you left Storybrooke." Regina shivered at the thought of any harm coming to that little boy. "I suppose I should thank you for keeping him safe." She saw Zelena nod, but the witch still looked away.

"Will you love her? Even if she's a part of me? After everything I've put the both of you through?" It was the simplest question Regina had ever been asked.

"Yes," she answered easily.

"What if she's like me? Like us?" Zelena's composure was shattering. Blame the hormones, the stress, and the fact that at some point she would just have to admit to herself that she was scared.

"Evil and Wicked?" Regina supplied, trying to alleviate some of the tension growing around them.

"Exactly." Zelena finally gave in to the tears.

"She won't be," Regina told her sister with absolute certainty. When puffy blue eyes finally met her own, Regina scooted closer. "We're broken, Zelena. Hopefully not beyond repair, but we are both broken. Cora destroyed us because she was heartless and cruel and couldn't see anything beyond her own selfish desires. "But this baby," she placed her hands over Zelena's and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she felt the child's magic resonating through. "This baby will be loved every second of her life. _That_ I can promise you."

"Right," Zelena hastily wiped away her tears. "Well at least that thief of yours makes cute kids. I'd hate to have to visit an ugly child."

Regina pulled her hand away and rose from the bed. The moment was over and both women were thankful for it. It was too soon, the wound too fresh. Zelena's wasn't yet sorry for the pain she had caused and Regina was nowhere near ready to forgive. "I'll see you at the next ultrasound. Let the guard know if _she_ needs anything before that." Regina was careful with her words. Her sister was a prisoner, but the life she had inadvertently created was innocent, vibrant, and a promise at a new start for them all.

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